Niveum Fatum
by cruxis-wings
Summary: The search for exspheres takes a deadly turn, and now Lloyd finds himself faced with the possibility of losing the one he treasures most. Lloyd/Zelos
1. prologue

AN: So, a new fic, and a series this time. *gasp* Please be patient with me on this, as uh. First time I've attempted multi chapter fan fiction in a long while, so. Bear with me? Ah. Niveum Fatum is my feeble attempt to be clever, and is Latin for white death, white utterance, or white fate, among other things. (Roughly, anyway.) Yay for ambiguity. But let's see how this goes. My newest torture Zelos scheme--...I mean, newest fiction. Enjoy~. XD

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White and red. Bright reds seeping into cold white, staining the frozen ground. His body enveloped in that cold white, slowly turning red.

Red... Red and white...

"Zelos! Oh god... Zelos!"

It wasn't often that Zelos saw such a grim, frightened expression pass across his bumpkin's adorable face. But then again, it wasn't everyday that Zelos lay blood covered, an arrow deeply embedded in his heaving chest, another wedged in his right leg. _Hahah... Nngh..._ He'd screwed up good, that was for certain. To be surprised by simple human bandits? Pretty pathetic.

"Ze-Zelos. Hold on. Just. Hold on..." Shaky, frightened words, a soft touch to his cheek... The redhead forced a small, wavering smile, casting that smile to the teen hovering by his side.

It hurt. The thick wooden rods penetrating his flesh, the... It was hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to... A funny place to die. In a cold, snow-ridden mountain pass, a few miles outside of Flanoir. It.... The Chosen cast a quick look about him, the... Red. Red snow everywhere. Only this time... The blood was his own. Fitting, really. A spasm rocked his slender frame, and the redhead was unable to hold back a pained cry. "Lloyd... Hunny, I..." He'd screwed up. And now, now.... That adorable bumpkin of his had tears in his wide brown eyes, his face...

Blood. He could taste it. Smell it... His breaths gurgling and short, his vision murky at best. It... Was frightening. How strange. Until recently, this... Would have been a great... Dream.... "...Lloyd..."

"Hold on. I. I'm getting you out of here. You're... Going to be fine," the fiery teen's shaking voice held a determined tenor, despite the fear in his teary brown gaze. "This is gonna hurt, but just. Stay with me." With these gentle words, the red clothed swordsman gently moved to place a supportive arm beneath the Chosen's impaled upper torso, pulling the man into a sitting position. "I've got to move you, it-it's going to hurt, but you gotta hold on for me. Just for a few minutes, alright?" The brunette's voice trembled, then broke, and again, Zelos felt warm fingers gently stroking his cool cheek.

It was far away, beyond the red snow, beyond the cold numb slowly washing upon his shuddering frame. Warm fingers, cold snow, and the taste of blood. He was drowning, choking on blood and snow. "...I...Nnn..." A soft whimper escaped his bloodstained lips, nothing more. What was it he had even wanted to say? The disorientated Chosen wasn't certain. _Lloyd... Lloyd, I..._

"L-look, drink this first, huh? The gel will probably slow the bleeding and-and then, I'm taking you to Flanoir, that doctor will fix you up, and the Professor, we'll find her too. She'll heal you, so just... Zelos? Zelos! Open your eyes!" Lloyd's frantic words drifted over the redhead, his voice sounding far-off and distorted, especially considering the guy was right beside him and all. Not a good sign, obviously. And... Were his eyes closed? He could have sworn his eyes were open...

"...H-...hunny..." His world was fading, the white engulfing him. The pain distant, the spasms traversing his body so far away. Lloyd. The arm wrapped about him, the smell of a healing gel pressed to his lips... It was...

All of it was engulfed. Engulfed by white.

"Z-Zelos? **Zelos!**"

White, spattered with red.


	2. chapter 1

Lloyd Irving's day had started out typical enough. Though he would have liked to get a few more hours of rest before setting out into the chill Flanoir morning air, a _certain_ redhead had kept elbowing him in the side, claiming his snoring was "loud enough to wake the dead," or something like that. Not that Lloyd hadn't expected it.

It was a normal routine amongst the two, one that—begrudgingly—Lloyd had come to expect rather early on in their adventure. In his own obnoxious way, it was the Chosen's way of waking the boy, keeping him from oversleeping. Lloyd knew this, even appreciated it. Not that he didn't moan and groan about it a little, as that morning banter was just another part of the familiar routine. Comfortable and familiar. Even if it was a little irritating, he had never regretted that shared routine with the Tethe'allan Chosen.

Until now.

Perhaps if he'd slept in, this wouldn't be happening. If he'd overslept even by an hour, then maybe... Maybe Zelos wouldn't be lying in a red-stained snow bank, choking on his own blood.

Yeah. If only Lloyd had overslept.

They had known their current goal included a little danger, but nothing could have... After facing Mithos Yggdrasil, saving two worlds? Investigating a recent rash of bandit attacks in the Flanoir mountainside had seemed like child's play. Bandits after unsuspecting travelers unlucky enough to possess exspheres. It had sounded pretty interesting to the easily distracted twin swordsman, as tracking exspheres across the newly merged planet? Well. It could get a little tedious. Listening to Zelos whine about the cold had seemed to be the only downside. If only that were true.

Lloyd would love to hear the redhead whine about the frigid air, to force one of those fake pouts on his pale face. He... Lloyd would love to see that young man simply open his eyes. "...Z...Zelos, come on. You. You gotta drink this, come on." He forced a commanding tone into his shaky voice, blinking rapidly against the tears watering his brown eyes.

The bandits had been strong. Far stronger than what they had expected. Defeating the first two had been a task in itself, so much so that the third hiding behind a deep snow bank had escaped both Lloyd and Zelos' attention... Until it was too late.

_Why... Why didn't I notice? Damn it... Damn it!_ He couldn't stop the self-deprecating thoughts, couldn't stop the tears trickling from his eyes as he looked down at the horribly pale man resting limply against him. _Zelos... I..._ Lloyd had only looked away for a moment, distracted by his opponent, and a moment was all it had taken. _I should have noticed, I should have..._ Lloyd violently shook his head, clearing away the thoughts threatening to overwhelm him.

He had to focus. Had to... He needed Zelos to drink the gel, then... Hopefully it... _Hopefully it'll keep him alive long enough for me to get him help..._ The brunette had contemplated removing the arrow lodged in the Chosen's heaving chest himself, yet decided against it. Removing it would cause even more damage, increase the blood flow even further... That was the last thing Zelos needed. For now, a gel would have to do. The most important thing was keeping the man alive long enough to get medical attention. Lloyd was no doctor, but he... He knew how grave those injuries were. It. It was bad.

"Here, this'll help," the teary young man whispered, awkwardly forcing those bloodstained lips apart with the open container of healing gel, tipping the gelatinous liquid into the Chosen's mouth. "Come on, swallow, Zelos. You can do it," he gently murmured, tossing the now empty container aside, closing the man's lips with shaky fingers.

Zelos let out a choked noise, though he swallowed, and Lloyd released a deep, uneven breath. There. Hopefully the medicine would buy his companion a little time. Hopefully. "It's gonna stop soon, Zelos. Hang on, okay?" he soothingly remarked, moving his hand away from those bloodstained lips, choosing to run his fingers through the Chosen's disheveled red locks instead. "Just hold on."

Lloyd pulled his teary focus away from his gravely injured friend for a few moments, his gaze flickering about the icy mountainside. Their Rheaird sat parked mere feet away. And almost directly in front of the vehicle, two bodies lay, fallen bandits to be precise. The bastards had certainly not wasted any time before making their move. _We... Didn't even have time to... Put away the Rheaird..._ How had the bandits' timing been so perfect, anyway? How could they have possibly struck so quickly? _It was like they... Were expecting us._ Had they... Was it a trap to start with? Those rumors... Lloyd forced the perplexing notions away, focusing his attention back to Zelos' pallid face. Right now? He had far more important things to worry about.

The bloodstained Chosen's breaths were coming in quick, gurgling gasps, his thin body limp, other than the spasms traversing his frame. Pale eyelids concealing those blue eyes, his attractive face so blank... It was terrifying. Lloyd swallowed hard against the knot in his throat, the cold fear in the pit of his stomach. "Hold on." With these mumbled words, the brunette cautiously shifted Zelos into his arms, getting the best grip on the man's frame as possible without jarring the thick rods penetrating his flesh. It was no easy task, yet even harder was forcing himself not to focus too intently on those terrible wounds. _He..._

The wooden arrows were unlike anything Lloyd had ever seen. The horribly thick rods were crafted with numerous barbed blades lining the shafts, obviously designed to literally rip and tear flesh as it entered the body. The uneven wounds in Zelos chest and upper right leg were... Torn and jagged, utterly... His body was mangled. _Who could... Be so... Cruel? To use arrows like that... _The arrows were clearly engineered to inflict as much damage as possible, and they had indeed served their creator's purpose. The damage to Zelos' slender frame was... He really didn't want to think too heavily on it. It was fixable. It **had** to be, and that was all there was to it. Lloyd wouldn't entertain any other possibility. He wouldn't... _I won't let you die._ The twin-swordsman slowly stood from the frozen, red-stained ground, the unconscious redhead cradled against him.

Zelos let out a whimpering, pained moan at the motion, and Lloyd's concerned frown deepened, his teary focus directing once again to that pale, bloodstained face. "...Damn it..." he murmured, noting with growing alarm that the Chosen's breaths were coming quicker and quicker, a crackling, gurgling sound issuing from his chest. Zelos needed help, and he needed it fast.

Lloyd carefully stepped around the fallen bandits littering the snow-covered ground--unfortunately, the bow wielding assailant wasn't among the corpses, as the bastard had made a quick escape after his attack,—his shaky legs quickly carrying him to the parked Rheaird. He cautiously mounted the vehicle, gently shifting Zelos' cool frame against him. It was an awkward position, but it wasn't exactly easy getting the man situated on the Rheaird with thick rods protruding from his body. "I know it hurts, Zelos. Just hang on."

"...Nn...Ngh..." The Chosen's blank face was so pale, his bloody lips almost blue. It... Zelos let out a harsh gag, blood forced from his lips. More blood... Followed by another choked noise, only this time red-tinged vomit dripped from his mouth.

Somehow, Lloyd didn't think that was a good sign. At all.

Blinking away the fresh tears blurring his vision, the brunette started the Rheaird, directing the machine into the air, as fast as it would go.

"Just a little longer..."

His gravely injured companion gave no response, only let out another choked gag.

_...Hold on, Zelos... Hold on..._

_

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_

...OH NOES. CLIFFHANGER? *gasp*


	3. chapter 2

AN: Oh dear, finally an update. Took long enough, right? ^^; I know, I know. I'm slow. In more ways than one. But yesh. I've actually been away on vacation, which included finally getting to spend time with my boyfriend. Which was pretty darn amazing, I must say. Even if I did catch his cold. ^.~ So, I'm back, refreshed, (if cold-ridden) and wrote out a new chapter. So. Yay for vacations and breaking writer's block.

Also, before continuing the story here, I'd like to address something a reviewer said. The brunette/brunet thing. I honestly had seen brunette used for males so often, I'd forgotten there was a masculine form of the word. What can I say, I'm a total scatterbrain. XD; But for you, I shall use brunet in this fic from here on out, neh. Though I can't promise I won't overuse ellipses. As. I like abusing ellipses? ^.~

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It was taking too long. What should have been a mere five minute flight seemed to stretch on for hours, forever even. Yet, then again, time had been moving far too slowly ever since his companion had fallen to the snow covered earth, arrows protruding from his flesh.

"Damn it!" the words escaped his lips with no real thought behind them, Lloyd's attention focused partly on the cloudy sky before him, and partly on the crumpled, dying young man held awkwardly against him. "Hold on, just hold on," the boy went on to shakily murmur, not even bothering to stifle the uneven tint to his voice. "Hold on." How many times Lloyd had uttered this mantra he had long lost count. "Hold on, hold on..." Zelos' health was rapidly deteriorating, it didn't take a genius or doctor to realize this fact. The man's face was positively ashen, blood and vomit staining his shuddering blue lips. His eyelids twitching, his chest crackling. He... He was barely breathing.

_He's not... Going to last much longer, he..._ Lloyd violently shook his head at this thought, fresh tears leaking from his eyes at the motion. He couldn't just give up on the guy. Zelos was too stubborn to just die on him, right? He was... He was Zelos. _I... Can't..._ The brunet didn't bother to complete this notion. It was far too painful. "Hold on, Zelos. We're almost there," he shouted over the cold air whipping against him, his grip on the craft's controls tightening. His fingers were positively freezing, as he had haphazardly cast his gloves aside whilst caring for his fallen companion. Despite the biting sensations traversing his numbing fingers, he clenched his hands even tighter. It was better to focus on the pain... Better than focusing on the soft, gurgling gasps escaping Zelos' lips, better than focusing on the blood freely spilling from those terrible wounds... The... The vomit staining his friend's duster and undershirt, the...

"Hold on."

It was a mantra, a mantra to keep Lloyd sane.

_Hold on... Please... Please..._

The snowy city of Flanoir was finally within view, it would only be a few more moments, just a bit longer. And yet those moments seemed to drag ever on, the white roofs in the distance inching closer at a snail's pace. Too much time had passed, it was too much precious time wasted, too much... The twin-swordsman took in a shallow, uneven breath, his wide brown eyes drawing to his companion, to the blood oozing from both corners of his blue lips. "Don't even think about giving up on me, Zelos. I'll never forgive you if you do," he shakily stated, forcing a commanding tone into his otherwise uneven voice. "I'll never forgive you, you got that?"

Zelos gave no response, of course.

With another uneven breath, the brunet forced his attention back to the city below him, biting down on his lower lip. He'd land the damn thing as close to the doctor's clinic as possible. It was fairly easy to spot after all, even from his current altitude. The long line of patients stretching from the small building was a pretty clear indicator.

"Almost there, Zelos," his raised voice resounded over frigid gusts of wind, and his already firm grip on the Rehaird's controls tightened more so as he focused on lowering the mana-powered machine closer to the town below. _There should be enough space to land it right here,_ the boy haphazardly noted, his dark gaze directed to the icy pathway a mere few feet from the string of warmly clothed patients clustered about the clinic's entrance. Just a matter of not landing on said patients as he parked the device.

It didn't take long for the line of people crowding the pathway to notice the descending craft, and as Lloyd directed the Rehaird closer to the frozen ground, he received more than a few angry glares and loud shouts. Not that the frightened teen particularly noticed or cared. No, he was far more concerned over the increasingly lifeless young man resting against him. "This is probably going to hurt, but just hold on. We're almost there." Focusing on keeping Zelos' arrow-pierced body somewhat still and landing the craft at the same time proved a task in itself, but he somehow managed to park the device safely, only jarring Zelos a bit in the process. It was enough to cause the gravely injured Chosen to let out a soft, gurgling moan however, his eyelids faintly twitching. "It's okay, Zelos," the brunet gently murmured, running a frigid finger carefully across his companion's bloodstained cheek. "Remember, you die on me and I'll kick your ass." It was a feeble, bantering _threat_, his voice cracking noticeably.

_He can't die..._ The guy was too stubborn. Way too stubborn... Right? _Right. No way I'm getting rid of him that easy._ With this thought, the Sylvarant swordsman gave an absentminded nod of his head, a determined expression firmly set on his rosy face. "Alright." He quickly cut the craft's power with a brisk motion of his wind chilled hand, his dark gaze drawing to the building he sat parked a few feet from.

...Not to mention the group of people crowded about the building, all eyes directed Lloyd's way. Most of the group looked less than thrilled,--to put it mildly,-- agitated glares and loud voices sent the young man's way. And yet, despite those raised voices and sharp looks, the boy barely noticed. Everything about him was somewhat blurry, distorted, everything but the cool body resting in his arms, the vibrant color of blood leaking from pallid blue lips... _Let them glare._

"Are you crazy, bringing that thing so close? Are you trying to kill someone?"

"What's the matter with you?"

Utterly ignoring the angry words cast his way, Lloyd carefully resituated Zelos' limp frame, getting the best hold on his arrow-riddled frame as possible in order to lift the young man from the craft. "I know it hurts. Hang on a few more minutes. The great Zelos can manage a few more minutes, right?" He forced the teasing words from his lips, ignoring the foreign, tense sound to his own voice.

The only response given by his companion was a soft, pitiful moan. Obviously he'd jarred his friend's wounds as he stood from the craft. Pretty unavoidable, but Lloyd winced in sympathy, noting with an uneven breath that tears were slipping down Zelos' red-stained face. "It's okay. I don't blame you. I'd be crying too," he remarked in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, tightening his hold on the redhead the best he could without touching those damned rods protruding from his flesh. "It's okay. Cry all you want, Zelos."

_Actually... I guess I'm crying too, huh?_ The brunette blinked at this realization, for the first time actually fully noticing the wet sensation on his cold cheeks. Yeah. Lloyd was crying. He was totally crying, and at the moment? He couldn't care less.

"Oh goddess! Are those arrows?"

"Ew, Mommy, look!"

"Bandits struck again, eh?"

Lloyd forced his attention away from the tears trailing slowly down Zelos' pallid face, his brown eyes flickering over the crowd of waiting patients eyeing the two with a mixture of anger, curiosity and sympathy. "I-I need through. My friend needs help," the teen shakily stated, internally groaning at the weak tenor to his voice. He cleared his throat, blinking away the fresh tears present in his eyes. "I said I need through!" he stated once more, this time regaining his more familiar determined demeanor, his brown gaze setting on the thick door to the clinic. _Come on, come on..._

"Why should he get to skip the line? I've been waiting for over three hours!"

"Oh stop your whining. All you have is a cold! At least you aren't bleeding."

"So? Serves them right for going in the pass."

"That's cruel!"

"Mommy, why is that lady bleeding?"

"Hush."

Ignoring the murmured words and stares, the red-clothed swordsman briskly made his way through the line, his legs shaking with each step taken. He should be feeling more confident now that help was so near, shouldn't he? Zelos was mere feet away from getting medical attention; things would be fine now, right? Yet... _What if he can't help him? What if it's too late? What if..._ Yeah, probably best not to think too much about **that**. Negative thoughts were hardly going to help matters, after all.

"Make way for the poor child, for goodness sake," an elderly, feminine voice cut through the fog of murmurs, loud enough to pull Lloyd from his racing thoughts, his focus moving to the owner of those commanding words. A slender, short-framed woman with a kind, wrinkled face and sympathetic blue eyes stood directly in front of the closed entrance to the small little building, and she beckoned a gloved hand to the brunet. "Hurry, let the boy through. Come on, child," she commanded, her blue eyes moving to the body cradled in Lloyd's arms. "Poor thing..."

Lloyd gave a quick nod to the elderly woman, taking in a shallow, uneven breath as he strode to the head of the line, moving to stand directly in front of the clinic's door. "Could you open it for me?" he requested with a just as shaky exhale of air, casting the grey haired woman a brief questioning look before returning his gaze to the man held in his arms. _His breathing is... Getting worse..._ This was hardly an uplifting discovery, to put it mildly. The Chosen's breaths were coming in rapid, shallow bursts, blood trickling from both corners of his colorless lips. _Damn it!_ "Just a few more minutes, Zelos."

"I'm afraid it's locked, dear. The doc doesn't like his facility flooded with patients all at once, you see," the elderly woman bundled in heavy clothing stated with another look sent to the gravely injured Chosen, her thin lips set in a grim frown. "But I can use these old bones to knock for you at least, hm?" she added, raising a thin, gloved hand to pound firmly on the wooden door with surprising strength, considering her frail, aged appearance. "Doc! We have an emergency here!"

Lloyd opened his mouth to concur with the woman's urgent words--_open up, hurry up, damn you!_--but the words died on his lips as Zelos' cool body gave a sudden violent jerk, a horrible crackling noise sounding from his chest. The brunet's focus snapped back to the man in his arms, and he struggled to hold that shuddering body steady as the terrible shudders only continued to increase. _He's..._

"Doc, hurry!" the woman's voice sounded once more, and yet Lloyd barely even made out those commanding words, his wide gaze watery as he took in those horrible sounds escaping his companion's throat, the violent spasms seizing his battered body. _...He's dying._

Zelos was literally dying in his arms. With this realization washing upon him, he found his mouth suddenly bone-dry, his own body lightly shivering, his heart pounding almost painfully against his ribcage. _No. No, this isn't..._ Lloyd shook his head, letting out an agitated growl. No way in hell was he letting his best friend just up and die on him. "Open the damn door, you greedy bastard, before I break it down!" he shouted, his voice cracking. _Zelos, Zelos is..._

"Now, now. Insults aren't going to help anything," a voice calmly remarked from behind that locked entrance, and a click could be heard, followed by the sound of hinges lightly creaking as the door slowly swung open. "What have we here? Hmm..."

Lloyd didn't have to look to know who the owner of that obnoxiously composed voice was. And at the moment? That grinding voice was music to the panicked boy's ears. "You have to help him! Now!" he shakily exclaimed, his wide eyes moving briefly away from the shuddering body held awkwardly in his arms, moving instead to the now open entryway, to the man leaning casually against the wooden frame. The doctor's narrow eyes partially concealed by thick glasses were just as calm and calculating as ever, Lloyd noted this with just one glance. _Bastard..._ Yet this 'bastard' was Zelos' best and only chance at survival. It was pretty ironic.

"My, my. Now this is going to be a costly visit."

...It was a good thing that his arms were currently wrapped about Zelos, really. Those smug words and calm expression were enough to make Lloyd want to strangle the man. Or demon fang that _pleasant_ smile off of his smug face. Or something equally violent and unpleasant. "You'll get whatever money you want, just help him, damn you," he snapped through gritted teeth, releasing a shallow, uneven breath. _...Whatever it takes, just... Help him..._

"I'm glad you feel that way. Right this way, then." The man gave a satisfied nod of his head, then turned his back to the brunet, retreating into the clinic once more.

"Come along, child. Let me help you," the elderly woman beside Lloyd softly remarked, and she stepped into the open entryway, pressing her slender body against the door to keep it fully open for the teen.

With a feeble nod of his head, the spiky haired swordsman wordlessly carried the shuddering redhead through the open doorway and into the small, warm clinic's main room. _Just a little longer... Just..._ Keeping calm while holding that mangled, dying body in his arms was beginning to feel impossible. His heart practically in his throat, his insides shuddering along with that dying young man held against him... Yeah. It was practically impossible to keep calm. "You're going to be okay now," he whispered, struggling to keep his voice confident, to keep his focus away from those horrible wounds marring Zelos' slender frame. _He'll be okay. He has to be... He..._

"Set him there." The doctor briskly motioned for Zelos to be placed on the vacant one of two beds in the small room, --the other occupied by a sniffling, apparently cold ridden woman, her wide eyes set on Zelos' mangled body,--and the man moved to a nearby table, apparently in search of something. "You'll have to excuse me, Miss Williams, we seem to have an emergency case with us, I'm sure you understand," the man then smoothly went on to remark, his focus briefly moving to the patient on the other bed. She gave no response, only a small nod, her eyes locked on the Chosen's terrible injuries.

Lloyd merely gave another nod of his head at the man's instructions, ignoring the other patient for the moment, and he carefully moved towards the unoccupied bed. He ever so gently shifted the Chosen's frame out of his arms and onto the soft bed, making sure to jar the arrows protruding from his body as little as possible. "There you go, Zelos," he murmured, taking a shaky breath as the redhead let out a pained whimper. "It's okay. It's okay, Zelos," he whispered, gently brushing strands of red away from the man's terribly pallid face. _He... Looks so awful..._

"Step away from the patient, please. I can't work with you hovering," the doctor cut into Lloyd's thoughts, and the shaken boy gave a faint nod of his head, too unnerved by that blank, pale face to snap back at the man's abrupt order.

Lloyd took an unsteady step back from the small bed, his brown gaze never leaving that so very lifeless face of his companion. "You can help him, right?" he forced the question from his lips, his hands tightly clenching by his sides. _He has to be. He..._

"Well, of course I can't make guarantees. Even _I'm_ not a miracle worker," the spectacled doctor curtly remarked, returning from rummaging about his table with a large, foreboding looking syringe held in his hands. Well, foreboding in Lloyd's eyes, at least.

"Wh-what is that?" he uneasily inquired, shifting his weight from one foot to another in an absentminded, nervous gesture. It was a pretty huge needle, with a large dose of dark, glimmering liquid. _Looks weird..._

"I'm afraid it's a little complicated to explain to someone with your level of intelligence, but think of it as a mana infused healing agent. Intravenous medicine that will help slow the bleeding and keep vitals stable until I can remove the arrows and repair the damage--if it is reparable, that is," the doctor calmly replied, not bothering to even cast the brunet a glance as he explained the contents of the syringe. "My own creation, I might add," he went on to state, his tone clearly showing his pride over the 'creation.'

"Don't be nervous, dear. The doc's bedside manner may leave something to be desired, but he's the best there is," another voice brought Lloyd's attention away from the syringe in the man's hand, and the teen blinked, noticing the elderly woman from the line had entered the clinic as well, her kindly blue eyes holding a look of reassurance. "Don't fret. Your friend is in good hands."

"Y-yeah," was the only response he could manage, his wide eyes drawing back to his companion, to the doctor by Zelos' side. "That's not going to hurt him, right?" he inquired after a short pause, watching with an uneasy expression as the doctor prepared to inject the syringe into his companion's left arm.

"No worse than having arrows ran through your friend's body, I'm sure," came the doctor's dry response, and he cast the brunet a quick, somewhat reassuring expression--coming from _him_, anyway.-- "Let me do my job. You're paying me well for this."

"...Yeah..." Lloyd murmured, shifting back and forth from one foot to another, then back again. It was hard to keep still, hard to stand back, stand helpless to the side as his best friend lay struggling to breathe, making such terrible noises...

"Now, now, dear. You have to be strong," the elderly woman softly remarked, and he felt a gentle touch to his shoulder, though he couldn't pull his focus away from Zelos to meet the woman's gaze. "I'm still right here, Zelos. Hang in there, okay?" he shakily stated, his tightly clenched fists lightly shaking. _Hurry up..._

Everything was still moving so slowly. As if the world was stuck in slow motion, the doctor's movements painfully slow, too slow. And Lloyd could do nothing but stand by, stand by and watch as time crawled slowly forward. Watch, watch as his dearest companion gasped for breath, blood pooling in his mouth, dripping from both corners of his pallid-blue lips. _Hurry up, damn you..._

Slowly, so very slowly--in Lloyd's eyes--the spectacled man injected the dark contents of the syringe into Zelos' pale arm, and the Sylvarant teen watched with a grim frown as the seemingly thick liquid was slowly sent into the Chosen's veins.

"There, it's a quick acting stabilizer, so this should give us more time--" the doctor calmly started, however his words quickly died as Zelos' body gave a sudden jerk, his battered body tensing in a violent manner, far worse than any of the spasms that had previously racked his body. "...Hm. This is problematic," he murmured, a frown overtaking his lips.

The Chosen's let out a choked noise, a fresh mouthful of blood forced from his lips, dripping down his chin. "...Nn--ngh..."

"That's not supposed to happen, is it doc?" the elderly woman uneasily inquired, her grip on Lloyd's shoulder tightening in a supportive manner.

"Z-Zelos!" Lloyd practically shouted as the Chosen's arrow riddled body convulsed against the bed, and he tore himself away from the woman gently grasping his shoulder, dropping down to his knees beside the bed. "Zelos, damn it! Stop being an idiot and hold on, alright? Remember what I said? You can't die! Snap out of it!" he commanded, moving to gently grasp the Chosen's tight, shuddering hand, holding it in both of his.

"...Ll...Lloyd..." Zelos softly whimpered, the fist true sign of awareness the young man had given in quite some time. Lloyd took in a quaking breath, gently squeezing that cold hand held in his own. "I'm right here, Zelos. Hang on, okay? You're going to be fine," he unevenly stated, forcing what he hoped to be a soothing tone into his shaky voice. "Isn't that medicine of yours supposed to be helping? He's bleeding worse now than he was before you gave it to him!" he added after a moment of silence, directing a frustrated glare to the doctor. The man didn't meet the brunet's questioning gaze however, his narrow eyes keenly set on Zelos', as if in search of something.

Lloyd opened his mouth to question the man once more, but his words never came, his attention quickly pulled back to his ailing companion. Zelos' breaths were coming in jagged, pained gasps, his body seizing with growing force. "Zelos? Zelos--" his voice cracked, and he let out another shaky sigh, fighting the panic threatening to overwhelm his thoughts.

The Tethe'allan Chosen's terrible shudders only increased, his pale, delicate eyelids twitching in time with the spasms traversing his frame. "Hold on, hold..." Again he found his voice failing, and he couldn't quite fight off the fresh tears filling his brown eyes. It was too much. Too much pain, too much blood, too much...

"I think it would be best if you leave, son," the doctor's voice broke into Lloyd's frightened thoughts, and the teen blinked at the subdued tenor to the man's voice. Where was the confident, all-knowing tone from moments before? The twin-swordsman jerked his head up to meet the man's eyes, his heart skipping a beat at the solemn look he was greeted with. "Why? I'm not leaving! Zelos... Zelos is my best friend, my... I'm not leaving," he snapped, his voice rising, and then promptly breaking. _Damn it! I can't leave!_

"I can't do what needs to be done with an audience. That goes for everyone. I'm going to need all of you to leave, please. And notify my other patients that the office will be closed," the man curtly remarked, casting a quick glance to Lloyd, then the elderly woman, and even the still quiet woman resting on the other hospital bed a few feet away. "Everyone out. Now," he commanded, adjusting his glasses in an inattentive manner.

"No. No way. I'm not leaving," Lloyd quickly retorted, not bothering to even attempt to stifle the shake to his voice. _I can't just leave him! I..._

Zelos let out a sudden terrible gag, as if his chest were caving in, as if he were suffocating, which. Well, made sense, considering the terrible chest wound, the blood dripping from his lips, and... "Zelos, that medicine is going to help, the bleeding is gonna stop and you're going to be fine. The great Zelos can handle something as little as this, right? Right?" he shakily teased, gently squeezing the man's cold hand once more in a comforting gesture. "It's going to be okay..."

"It isn't going to be 'okay' if you don't let me do my job. You're wasting time," the spectacled doctor cut into the teen's statements, a sober, urgent tone to his voice. It was actually pretty terrifying sound. The man's calm, smug demeanor was nowhere to be seen, and that?  
That really couldn't be a good sign.

"Come on, dear. You need to listen to the doc," the elderly woman softly concurred, and again, Lloyd felt the woman's gloved hand on his shoulder. "Come along, you can rest at my home. I'll fix you something warm to drink, and we'll let the doc do his work on your friend," she soothingly added, her thin hand gently tightening about the teen's shoulder.

_Are they crazy? How could I..._ How could they **possibly** expect Lloyd to just leave? To sit and drink hot beverages while Zelos lay bleeding and suffering--dying--? No, no he couldn't just... _...I don't even like... Being away from him when everything's normal, when he's in Meltokio doing the king's work... We even sleep in the same room, he..._ His tumultuous thoughts died, and he released a loud, quaking sigh. Being near Zelos was something the Sylvarant swordsman had grown accustomed to, grown to...

How could he just leave him to die alone?

"Come along, child."

"...I..."

His voice faltered, his watery eyes locked on that pale, suffering face that he cared so dearly for. That loyal friend who... Who followed Lloyd across the newly merged world, who... Who kept him warm at night, who... Who had a beautiful smile--especially his **real** smile. That soft, weary smile...

"Ze-Zelos... Don't die... Please..."

A numbing cold swept over the brunet with these whispered words, far colder than that artic Flanoir wind. A cold wave of dread settling into his stomach, engulfing his shaking frame. _...Don't die..._

He was standing, being led out of that warm clinic room, back into the cold, yet he didn't feel it. No, it wasn't as cold as the knot in his stomach. _Don't die._

"Come along, dear. You're friend is in good hands. Don't you go losing hope." He dully noted those gentle words uttered by the elderly woman leading him into the frigid air, but he couldn't force a response. He barely even understood the woman's words.

The sound of Zelos' gagging followed him as he exited into the cold Flanoir air, tears slipping from his dark eyes.

* * *

...I suppose this is another of those cliffhangers, isn't it. Hm. XD Poor Lloyd. I have problems, really. Torturing my favorite couple entertains me far too much. *shot*

But YESH. What will happen next? Will this ever go anywhere? Will Zelos ever stop gurgling? Will Lloyd get led off and molested by the kindly old granny while he's out of it angsting? Will the doctor get his moneys? Will Rae ever get a brain? All will be revealed--one day. Probably. ^.~


	4. Chapter 3

AN: Finally an update, wow. Someone remind me to never attempt multi-chapter fic ever again. I'm so slow. =_= My apologies for the sporadic updates. Also, much love to my Leon for the beta'ing and encouragement. Totally wouldn't have gotten this written without your support.

* * *

"Dear, your cocoa is getting cold."

The words barely registered to the young man's ears, his dark brown eyes focused intently on the drink in question held between his tightly clenched hands. The white mug's contents untouched, all signs of steam long since gone, and yet Lloyd continued his silent vigil over the cool liquid. He simply couldn't pull his focus away, nor did he have any intention to do so.

"Dear, you should really drink a little, staring at it's not going to help anything," that same elderly voice drifted over his senses, yet the only response Lloyd could force was a small, weary sigh. He didn't want to drink the damn cocoa. He didn't want to sit in the woman's quaint, warm little kitchen, didn't want to listen to that consoling tint in the woman's voice. No, he... _For all I know he's already..._ The thought was too painful to even finish, so the boy attempted to force it away, gritting his teeth in agitation. It really wasn't in his nature to be so negative, was it? And yet as the clock ticking on the woman's kitchen wall continued to mark the passing time, his thoughts continued to grow bleaker and bleaker. _How long is it going to take before I know? How long do I gotta sit here, not even knowing if he's alive?_

It.. It really was pretty unfair. At least Lloyd thought so. _Not that life's ever fair. But still._ After saving the worlds and all, you'd think fate would at least cut him a **little** slack, right? _Yeah, right._ Nothing was ever that simple, of course. He wasn't that naïve. Still. It was pretty damned unfair.

"Child, moping about isn't going to help your friend one bit. You've been sittin' like a statue for a good two hours now, you know. You think it's what your friend would want?" And again, the brunet found his dark contemplations interrupted by that gentle voice, only this time, he faintly detected a pointed tenor bleeding into her words. So maybe she had a point. It still... Didn't make it any easier to pull his gaze away from that mug of cold cocoa, however.

Lloyd took in a shaky breath, the frown on his chapped lips deepening—if possible. "I know. I know that," he flatly murmured, unable to force any emotion into his hollow voice.

Of course it wasn't helping anything. Wasn't helping Zelos to be sitting helplessly, not even by the gravely wounded man's side. Wasn't helping to have utterly nothing to do, other than put faith in a greedy jerk of a doctor, to... The powerlessness of the situation was nearly unbearable. Lloyd was a man of action, after all. But now? Unable to do **anything**? _I really... Can't stand this._

"Damn this!" The words escaped his lips with no real thought behind them, and he slammed the mug to the table, sloshing cold liquid from the mug as he did so. "Damn this," he softly repeated, staring down at the old table's scratched surface, taking in the mess he had made. Cocoa saturating into deep scratches in the faded wood, dripping from his cast aside mug.

Another deep, agitated breath escaped the teen, his brown gaze slowly pulling away from the table, finally moving to the elderly woman sitting directly across from him in the little kitchen space. "Sorry," he whispered, his voice small, dejected.

"Well. I suppose that's better than just starin' like a zombie," the elderly woman dryly commented after a moment of silently watching the boy, a rueful smile gracing her wrinkled face. "Don't go apologizing. It's alright," she went on to state, and she slowly stood from her chair, shuffling across the room, towards the kitchen counter. "We'll just get this cleaned right up, and maybe this time I can convince you to actually drink a little, hm?" the grey haired woman wryly remarked, rummaging about in a cabinet drawer for a moment before holding up a blue cloth. With this found, she moved back to the table, making quick work of sopping up the spilled liquid from the table's surface. "There, that's better."

Lloyd was unable to think of any real reply to the woman, so instead he merely gave a feeble nod of his head. Focusing on anything—anything other than that pale, lifeless face burned into his memories—seemed impossible. _I... I need to be there, I need... What if he's scared? What if..._

"Now. Drink a little this time, dear." Again the woman's voice cut into his bleak thoughts, and the brunet blinked, forcing himself to focus on the fresh cup of cocoa placed in front of him. "Alright," he murmured, numbly reaching for the hot cup of steaming liquid. He brought it to his lips, taking a sip. He really didn't taste it, however, only felt the twinge of pain on his tongue from the heat. On some level, it was a welcome sensation.

"So. Tell me about yourself. Your friend. It'll help pass the time, you know," the elderly woman suggested, her dark blue eyes carefully focused on the young swordsman, her expression thoughtful. "What were you two doing in the pass?" she went on to question, her voice holding a tint of curiosity.

"We were..." Lloyd started, however his voice cracked, and he paused, releasing a shaking breath. "We were looking into the rumor about bandits. Supposedly they've been robbing people just for their exspheres. We... **I** wanted to get them back. Zelos was just there because of me," he softly confessed, his grip on the warm mug tightening. _He... This is all my fault. I..._ If he hadn't brought Zelos to Flanoir, hadn't forced the guy out into that cold, snow-ridden pass... _I'm. I'm so selfish. This is all my fault._

"That's a pretty hefty goal you had. Taking on lowlifes like that. Why go to so much trouble?" the elderly woman inquired, her tenor incredulous.

Hefty? That was sort of laughable. After what he and Zelos had been through on the initial journey to merge the worlds? A small, humorless smile briefly formed on the young man's lips, his brown gaze slowly drawing to the elderly woman's questioning face. What was her name? He was pretty sure she'd told him. _...Miss... No. No Miss._ The woman had declared she was no fan of formalities. He was to call her Amelia, that was it. "No offense, Amelia, but... This seemed pretty small, compared to other things we've done. I... I wasn't expecting any trouble," he dryly remarked, his expression bitter. "But, I guess I was wrong."

The elderly woman—Amelia—gave a small nod of her head, the frown on her thin lips deepening. "You look like a strong young man, so I shouldn't be surprised. Not so sure about your friend, but I can see where you'd be confident in yourself... It's good to still be cautious though, hm?" she slowly stated, her words hesitant.

"...I... I thought we were. I... Damn it," the brunet murmured, his focus drawing away from the woman's frown, moving back to the steaming mug gripped tightly in his hands. "Zelos is stronger than I am. He might not look it, but..." A faint smile again graced his lips at this statement, though this time it was affectionate. "Trust me, he's stronger than he looks. That's why... This... This shouldn't be happening," he added, his smile fading, his eyelids slipping closed. _This shouldn't have happened. How. How the hell did this happen?_

How had it all went so horribly wrong? It wasn't... Wasn't fair.

"I will admit, your friend? I thought he was a woman when I first laid eyes on that hair of his. It's downright beautiful," Amelia softly commented, a faint smile on her lips at this admission. "Looks can be deceiving I suppose."

Zelos, a woman? A bittersweet laugh escaped Lloyd, his eyelids closing tighter at the fresh tears threatening to escape his eyes. He could just hear Zelos' reaction to that. It was a terribly painful sensation. _Zelos..._

"Ah, I'm sorry child. I didn't mean to offend you. I... I was... Just an old woman running her mouth," the grey haired woman's voice dropped, an apologetic tint entering her words. "I meant nothing by it."

Lloyd gave a shake of his head at Amelia's apology, his bitter smile only growing. "No, I was just thinking of what he'd say to that," he quietly confessed, his eyelids closing tighter, his smile wavering. "It's true, though. He sort of looks like a girl," he weakly scoffed, a few tears slipping from his closed eyes, trailing down his cheeks. _Except for his shoulders, he's... The most feminine looking guy I've ever seen._ Not... Not that it was a bad thing. No, it was just another of those endearing qualities of his companion. _He's such an idiot. One minute he can be whining like a little girl, the next... Staring at me with those eyes of his that look like he's got the weight of the whole world on him. He really...._ Zelos' eyes filled with tears—frightened, dying eyes—flashed through his thoughts once more, effectively cutting off his contemplations. _Damn it._

"More than the hair... It was the look on your face that had me confused," the elderly woman abruptly stated, and Lloyd forced open his watery eyes, a little confused himself over Amelia's confession.

"Yeah?" was the only response he could force, his expression perplexed. _My look?_

"You care about him a lot." This wasn't a question, her voice firm, knowing.

"Oh... Yeah. He's... my best friend," Lloyd responded after a short pause, his focus drifting away from the woman, moving again to the drink in his hands. _He's my... best friend, my..._ Somehow, the words rang hollow. Best friend, did that really even begin to cover it? He... He wasn't sure. And at the moment? The young Sylvarant swordsman didn't have the energy or focus to give it much deep thought. _He's __**Zelos**__._ That was enough.

"Is that so." Amelia gave a small nod of her head, her deep-blue eyes never leaving the boy's damp face.

"Yeah." He couldn't think of any other reply, so he gave a small, downhearted shrug of his shoulders, then moved to wipe at the wetness on his cheeks.

The elderly woman seemed to have nothing more to say for the moment, and a stillness settled over the small, warm kitchen. The only sound breaking into the silence was a soft ticking noise sounding from the clock on the wall.

-Tick. Tick. Tick.-

Lloyd didn't need that ticking sound to count out the minutes stretching ever on, he could feel it pass with every breath taken, every beat of his heart throbbing in his head. Time was crawling, passing far too slowly. And until he could sit by Zelos' side, hold his hand and see those blue eyes open? He was pretty damn sure time would continue its maddeningly slow pace.

-Tick. Tick. Tick.-

Having that damn clock echo within the stillness of the room wasn't exactly helping the overwhelming emotions eating away at his thoughts, however. _Damn it! Zelos... I...._ Perhaps he should go back to the clinic, demand to be let in, to...

"You know. You remind me a little of someone, child," Amelia suddenly stated, pulling Lloyd's focus away from his tumultuous contemplations.

He gave a slow blink of his brown eyes, moving his focus to the woman's now intent gaze."I do?" He wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or bad thing, judging by her solemn expression.

"Mm-hmm, that you do. My grandson—well, not by blood, but he was as dear as blood. He had that tenacity of yours," the woman quietly remarked, a small, wistful smile appearing on her lips.

Lloyd had seen that expression far too many times on his journeys through Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. Suffering; loss; grief. It didn't take a genius to realize the woman's 'grandson' was dead. "What happened to him?" he inquired, his voice soft.

"Oh, don't you let me start my morbid talk, child. Just wandering thoughts, is all. He was a good boy, you see. I miss him from time to time." Amelia's voice perked up a bit at this, her expression rueful. "But it isn't anything to worry your head over right now," she added, giving the boy a soft, sympathetic smile.

Lloyd started to protest the woman's clear attempt to change the subject, but on second thought, perhaps it was too painful for her to speak about. And in his current state of mind? He hardly expected to be much comfort. No, at the moment, the only thing he could think about was the owner of that dried blood staining his clothes, that pained, fragile face... The brunet gave a nod of his head, returning the woman's small smile with a strained, understanding smile of his own. "Okay."

"There you go, now that's a cute face you have, dear," Amelia practically crooned, her smile widening as she let out a satisfied laugh. "Much better than the look you have when moping about."

"Yeah? I don't know about that, but if you say so," the Sylvarant teen dryly retorted, his brown gaze dropping from the woman, moving to his cooling cup of cocoa in his hands—his bloodstained hands. Red, dry splotches of Zelos' blood. _Damn it. What am I doing. I...._

"Mn, knew it wouldn't last long. Back to that mopey look. But it's to be expected, no doubt," the elderly woman stated with a sigh, her voice rueful. "It's alright. You can get the cute little smile of yours back for good once your friend recovers," she added, that gentle, reassuring tenor quickly returning to her kindly words.

"Y-yeah...." was all Lloyd could manage, his voice breaking at that solitary word. It was too hard. Too hard to focus on anything, anything other than the time ticking by so damned slowly, the feel of dried blood on his hands, the... The....

A loud knock resounded through the small, cozy house, causing the young man to nearly jump from his seat. He released a shaky breath, his gaze drawing to the elderly woman across from him. The sound was coming from her front door. _W-what if...._ Could it be news about Zelos? That painful knot in his stomach grew even more so at this possibility.

Amelia's line of contemplation seemed rather similar, a faint frown on her lips as she stood from her sitting position. "Come on child. Maybe the doc's sent someone with news," she quietly stated, shuffling over to the young man, then placing a thin hand on his shoulder. "It'll be good news. I'm sure of it."

Lloyd gave a short nod of his head, and he stood, his hands clenching into tight fists by his sides. Had it been long enough for there to be good news? With wounds of such magnitude, could the doctor really have good news? Despite how long time had seemed to drag on, in reality, looking at that infernally loud clock on Amelia's wall... It had only been two hours. _What if... What if he...._

"Don't go fretting yet, child." The elderly woman moved to take hold of his clutched left hand, and she gave a gentle tug. "Come along."

Again, the brunet found himself unable to give any real response, so after another nod of his head, he allowed the woman to lead him away from the warm kitchen, into the main entryway the next room over. That loud knocking was persistent, and with each knock, Lloyd's heart-rate increased. _What if...._

Amelia swung open the large, wooden door, revealing a young boy in bundled clothing, his face rosy from the cold air. "Hiya, Grammy Amelia! The doc wanted me to tell you to bring your friend back," he chirped, his cheerful expression clearly showing he had no personal knowledge over the doctor's message. "You aren't sick again are you?" the young boy then inquired, shifting from foot to foot in a hyperactive manner. "Who's your friend, Grammy, huh, huh?"

Amelia let out a soft laugh at the boy's quick words, and she moved to give a playful pat on the boy's head. "The doc's making you play his messenger again, I see. It's nothing to worry your little head over, child. You go back to playing now, you hear?" she warmly stated, casting a reassuring smile to the boy.

"You suuure? You don't need nothin', Grammy?" The young boy hopped about, bouncing in place in time with his words.

"I'm just fine, Issac. Now run along."

Lloyd watched with a blank expression as the child did just that, running off into the fluffy Flanoir snow, his arms spread wide. If he were more alert, he would probably smile a little at the boy's hyper, playful demeanor, but... At the moment? All the Sylvarant teen could think on was the meaning behind the doctor's message.

Zelos was alive. He had to be. He was **Zelos**. Zelos... Zelos was invincible, right? He was....

"Come along. Standing here won't put it off forever."

The elderly woman's words pulled him from his blank stupor, and Lloyd took in a deep breath, blinking his brown eyes to better focus himself. "Yeah. Yeah, let's go."

So with this said, the two ventured into the snow, their destination the clinic just a bit away. With each step closer to that small building, Lloyd's chest tightened, his hands clenching against his sides. Those white snowbanks he trudged through... They only brought back memories of red-stained snow, stained with Zelos' blood. _Damn... Damn it...._

They reached their destination quickly—though for Lloyd, is seemed an eternity, of course. The doctor stood waiting for them in the doorway, his expression... Grim. Lloyd's heart practically stopped on noting that sober look on the man's usually confident face. _Oh goddess...._

"Come in. We need to discuss your friend's condition."

* * *

...Well, there you have it. Annnd, I shall just leave you to ponder Zelos' condition for now. Until next time~.


	5. Chapter 4

AN: Loook, an update. Wow. Only took a month this time. *dies*

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Lloyd was practically frozen in place. His legs didn't want to move, his eyes didn't want to pull away from that lifeless face of his companion's. He stood in the open doorway of the small clinic, his hands faintly shaking by his sides, his brown eyes wide. "Is... Is he..." his heart practically in his throat, he took in a shaking breath, his voice noticeably cracking. _He's alive. He can't __**not**__ be. He... _Zelos... There was nothing about that blank, ashen face that held even a trace of life. _He... He can't be..._

"You're letting cold air in. I'd advice you close the door before you make your friend's condition even worse," the doctor's smooth voice pulled the young man from his frightened stupor, and he gave a small nod of his head. There was a condescending tint to the man's statement, but at the moment? It was a relief to hear the word "worse." It couldn't get any worse if Zelos was already gone, right?

So the shaken boy did as he was told, firmly closing the clinic's door behind him, his focus never pulling away from Zelos' still form. His friend may be alive, but he certainly didn't look it. His face was colorless, his lips so pallid they were practically blue. He couldn't clearly see the young swordsman's injuries however, as thick white blankets were covering that still frame, tucked about his thin body. On closer inspection, Lloyd could make out the shallow breaths escaping his companion, but they were soft--too soft. This realization was hardly comforting. _But he __**is**__ breathing... That... That's all that matters right now..._

"So, doc... How is the poor boy?" Amelia hesitantly inquired from her position next to Lloyd, her blue gaze hovering between the two young men in a matronly, compassionate manner. "His friend here's been worried sick, you know."

The doctor was slow to respond to the woman's question, prompting the brunet to finally pull his focus to the doctor, and he noted the man's deep frown with a twinge of trepidation coursing up his spine. It wasn't a sight he was used to. Seeing that all-confident doctor with such a grim expression... Well. It wasn't a good feeling, that was for damn sure. "Stop looking like that. Just say it already. Is... Is he going to be okay?" Lloyd abruptly questioned, his agitated words escaping his lips without much thought behind them. He... He wanted the man to stop looking like that, to get that confident, familiar smug expression back on his face. _Stop. Stop looking like that. Damn it..._

"You really speak your mind, don't you," the doctor mused, seemingly mostly to himself, and he released a soft sigh. He cast the Sylvarant teen a faint, weary smile, then directed his focus to his patient. "Let's start with me saying that the arrows have been successfully removed, as you can see. This is of course a positive," he stated, his narrow eyes focused directly to the bedridden redhead, his frown returning once more.

"That's a good thing then, right, doc?" the elderly woman chimed in, her voice holding a hopeful tint. "The hardest part is gettin' the things out, right? Now you can recover his mana, heal him up," the woman went on, giving a careful glance over the redhead in question. "That's right, ain't it, doc?" she questioned once more, her positive tenor fading a bit as she returned her focus to the man's sober expression. "Doc?"

Lloyd's stomach twisted at the man's increasingly grim expression. Why the hell was he looking like that? If the arrows were gone, and Zelos was still alive, then why that deep frown? Why was the doctor looking at his companion with such a dark expression? "N-now that the arrows are gone, you can heal him, can't you? It should be easier now, so why are you looking at him like that?" the brunet unevenly questioned, his tightly clenched hands shaking right along with his voice. _Stop looking at Zelos like that. Stop..._

"...You're both correct, of course. Surviving the extraction is a win in itself. However... I'm afraid it isn't quite that simple," the white haired man quietly remarked, a slow, deep breath following his words. "Why don't you sit down. Your friend called for you a few times throughout the procedure. I'm sure he would like to have you near," the doctor just as quietly stated, and he gave a motion of his hand towards a chair set up directly next to Zelos' bed.

The image of his companion calling out for him, in pain, alone, was enough to make the knots in Lloyd's stomach tighten almost unbearably. _Zelos..._ The young brunet clenched his jaw at that wave of overwhelming sensations, blinking harshly at the fresh tears welling up in his eyes. He gave a short nod of his head however, and he forced his shaking legs to carry him across the small room, towards his friend's side. With each step closer, he could better take in that blank, colorless face, that fragile, lifeless body bundled under thick blankets... It was enough to make him literally feel ill. "...Hey, Zelos. You uh. You're not looking so hot," the young man softly whispered, shakily lowering himself into the wooden chair by the redhead's side.

Zelos gave no sign of recognition or response to those soft, shaky words, his face expressionless, his breaths weak and shallow. Lloyd released an uneven breath at this, and he carefully raised a hand to touch the man's pallid cheek. His companion was cool to the touch, noticeable even to Lloyd's chilled hand. "It's okay. You're going to be okay," he reassured that weak, fragile young man, hoping that his words were heard, even if Zelos showed no outward sign of acknowledgment.

"So. I'm... I'm sitting down. What is it you're not telling me? Just... Spit it out already, damn it." Lloyd directed his watery brown gaze to the doctor, swallowing hard at the fear practically eating away at his insides. At least, that's what it felt like, anyway. It was suffocating. "Just... Please just tell me."

"Doc, keeping the boy in suspense isn't going to make anything easier," Amelia quietly concurred, and she moved a bit closer to the two young men, her blue gaze set on the bedridden Chosen. "...What's going on, doc. I haven't seen you like this for... For a long time."

"You're right, of course. My apologies." The bespectacled man released another long sigh, his narrow eyes drawing to the redhead once more, his frown only deepening. "I'm afraid your friend's condition is worse than I originally suspected. It's a critical enough situation just from how severe his wounds are, but... That isn't all." The man paused at this, his focus pulling to the brunet by his patient's side. "This isn't something easy for me to say. Despite what you may think."

Lloyd's eyes couldn't possibly open wider. Nor could his heart possibly beat any faster. Painful thumps pounding against his ribcage, his stomach twisting and flopping about in time with his racing heart. Worse? Something **worse** than the wounds, something worse than... What the hell did that even mean? How could there be something worse? "...What... What are you talking about?" the Sylvarant teen unevenly inquired, not even bothering to fight the fear bleeding into his loudly uttered words.

_Why is this happening? None of this..._ It didn't make any sense. None of it. He shouldn't be sitting in a clinic, sitting by Zelos' lifeless side. No, no it was all a dream, right? He would wake up any minute, wake up snuggled next to the redhead at the inn, and Zelos would open his eyes, whine, complain about the cold. He wasn't... He wasn't lying lifeless in a hospital bed, pallid and near death. It was all a dream, a terrible dream.

If only that were true.

"It's really that bad?" Amelia's uncertain words drew Lloyd's watery focus away from his companion's blank face, back to the man's deep frown and weary eyes. One look at that expression was enough to answer the elderly woman's question. _Oh goddess..._

"I'm afraid your attackers really wanted your friend dead. And there's... A high chance that they've succeeded." The man paused at this, a hand raising to absentmindedly fiddle with the glasses perched on his nose. "Your friend's body is rejecting mana, healing gels, all forms of medicines I've attempted to administer. His body is simply shutting down." With this, the man gave a small shake of his head. "It's a bad situation, to put it mildly."

Lloyd blinked once, twice, three times, his already tense body tightening with each word spoken by the doctor. His words made no sense. Not a bit. How... How could that even be possible? How could a body reject mana? "How can this be happening? That... You're sure? That doesn't even..." The boy's voice cracked, his words trailing into a strangled gasp for air. It was almost... Hard to breathe, to think, to do anything other than stare at that lifeless face of his dear friend. _Zelos is... He..._

"I know it's difficult, but please try to keep a little focus. Panicking isn't going to solve anything," the white haired man interjected, his grim expression seeming to only increase. "I haven't thrown in the towel yet, if that's of any comfort. But I want to prepare you for the worst. This is a dire situation."

"Doc... What's happening to the poor boy? Why?" Amelia again cautiously broke into the discussion, a perplexed expression on her wrinkled face.

"I'm not certain of the exact cause as of yet, but. There was a substance coating the tips of both arrows. I have a feeling tests on both the substance and the patient's blood will reveal more," the man explained, his tenor matter of fact. "It's reasonable to guess that it's some sort of toxin. For now, that's all I'm comfortable in saying."

"...P...Poison? Those... Those damned bastards! How could..." Lloyd squeezed his eyelids tightly closed, fighting the sudden surge of anger rising within. Why? Why go through so much trouble, all to cause the suffering of another living being? The ambush, those wicked barbs on the arrows, and now poison? How could anyone be so heartless? "It... Makes sense now. When I gave him a healing gel... It made him sick. I thought it was shock, but... I guess not, huh," he weakly scoffed, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper.

"Yes. I've experienced the same. All forms of medication and attempts to induce mana into his system have resulted in a similar reaction," the doctor confirmed, giving a slight nod of his head. "This makes caring for his injuries... difficult. Slowing the bleeding was an arduous task in itself. Keeping him stable, keeping the wounds from growing infected... Foreseeing the complications that will arise from his mana-deprived condition? Well. It's not going to be easy."

"So... What do we do? Is that it? We just... Just let him die?" Lloyd snapped, forcing open his watery eyes to cast the man an agitated glare. Really, directing his frustration at the doctor was hardly going to help matters, but at the moment, it seemed impossible to suppress that feeling of helplessness, that anger over the whole situation. _Without medicine or mana... How is Zelos... How is he..._ He couldn't bear to finish the thought.

"I'm not the enemy here, so please refrain from attacking me for you and your friend's haphazard decision to venture into bandit territory to begin with," the bespectacled man irritably retorted, a frustrated sigh escaping him."As for your question on whether we just give in? Of course not. I would be a second-rate doctor to give up that easily. And second-rate doctors don't get paid, now do they. So. I believe you know where I'm going with this, hm?"

Those pointed words were sharp, cutting into Lloyd like a knife. A fresh, painful stab of guilt nearly overwhelmed the Sylvarant teen, and he jammed his eyelids tightly closed. The man was right. An arrogant bastard, perhaps, but right nonetheless. "S-sorry," was the only response the brunet could manage, his voice soft, defeated.

The doctor gave a dismissive motion of his shoulders, and he turned his focus away from the upset young man, his narrow gaze drawing to the elderly woman standing nearby. "Amelia. I hate to be a burden on you, but I am going to have to request your assistance," he smoothly stated, his voice holding a faint imploring tenor. "I know you're health has declined over the years, but you are still one of the best nurses I've had the pleasure of working with. Can I request your assistance one more time?"

"Of course, doc. Can't let you handle this on your own now, can I?" was the woman's quick response, a soft smile forming on her thin lips. "I don't know how much assistance I can provide in this sort of case, though."

Lloyd cracked open his eyelids at this exchange, a dull tint of surprise on his otherwise blank face. "You're a nurse?" he weakly inquired, unable to force much emotion into his voice. _Guess I shouldn't be so surprised. She's nice enough to be one..._ Of course, now that he thought about it, why had Amelia been standing in line for the clinic, to begin with? Strange he hadn't even thought of it before, but... Was she ill? "You sure you're in good enough shape to be helping? If you're sick..." he hesitantly began, only to have the woman shake her head, her smile widening a bit.

"Don't fret none about that. I was just waiting for a chance to speak with the doc, more than anything. We're old friends, aren't we?" the elderly woman explained, casting the white haired man a small, rueful smile. "He's an odd one to befriend, I do admit. But don't think too bad of him."

"...Yes, well. In any case." The doctor cleared his throat, apparently ignoring the woman's remarks. "For the time being, I'm going to begin tests on the substance I recovered from the arrow tips. I'm also contemplating sending a sample to a few colleagues in Sybak," the man stated, again moving a hand to adjust his glasses in an inattentive manner. "In the meantime... Amelia, keep a close watch of our patient's vitals. Inform me of any changes. All we can do for the moment is try to keep him stable, and hope the toxin isn't going to cause any further damage."

Lloyd swallowed hard at this, his focus again drawing to Zelos, to how frail he looked, how lifeless he seemed lying on that small bed. Poison... If it could keep him from taking in mana, what else could it do to his already weakened body? He... He really didn't even want to think about it.

"Doc... The symptoms. Don't they seem a little--" Amelia hesitantly began, only to be cut off by the doctor releasing a particularly deep, exasperated sigh.

"The symptoms are inconclusive. I need more evidence before I can make any sort of diagnosis."

"Hmm, suppose this is true."

"Of course it is. I'm a scientist, not a fortune-teller."

Lloyd gave a questioning blink of his watery eyes, a perplexed frown on his chapped lips. "What are you two talking about?"

Amelia gave a small shake of her head at the boy's inquiry, casting him a small, consoling smile. "Nothing to worry your head over. You just focus on being by his side. Nearly fifty years of experience tells me that's the best medicine, you know. Hold his hand, talk to him. It'll do a world of good, you'll see."

"...Y-yeah... Okay..." Lloyd softly replied, giving a faint nod of his head. It was all he could do, wasn't it? Sit by helplessly, watch Zelos' expressionless face, listen to those weak, shaking breaths... _Zelos, I..._

"I say contact your _friends_ in Sybak. See... See if they can help. And Lloyd, you be thinking of anyone you want to send a message to, dear. We'll make sure it gets there, won't we, doc?" the elderly woman stated, her voice still holding that reassuring tint.

"Hm. Now, if you'll excuse me. I have tests to begin." With this said, the doctor gave a curt nod of his head. He then turned, taking a few steps away from the main clinic room, towards the building's exit. "Most of my lab equipment is set up within my residence, where I have more space to work. So, of course that's where I'll be for the next few hours. If anything changes, let me know." The man paused, directing his focus back to the elderly woman. "Keep careful watch of his temperature," he quietly ordered, that grim tone to his voice sending a fresh shiver coursing up Lloyd's spine.

"You figure it out quick. You got two boys countin' on you now," the grey haired woman firmly replied, her blue gaze intently set on the man, her face solemn.

"...Of course. It's what I'm being paid for, isn't it?" The doctor's smug statement somehow rang a bit hollow, though a faint smile graced the man's lips. Without another word said, he turned, exiting the building at a brisk pace.

Lloyd could do nothing but simply sit and watch the man leave, watch that heavy door swing shut behind him as he made his way out into the cold Flanoir air. He could think of nothing to say or do, other than sit, sit and hope that the man could work a miracle for his companion. _Zelos..._

"Now you got a job to do too, child. You pay attention to him. Talk to him. He'll hear you. You can count on it," Amelia's soft, consoling voice broke the boy from his troubled reverie, and he met the woman's warm gaze for a moment, taking in that confident expression on her wrinkled face. She... She was right. He did have a job to do. He wasn't about to sit by and let Zelos drop over on him. Not a chance. Besides. Lloyd had faced tougher odds before. Why start doubting the improbable now? He'd seen real miracles come to be, so keeping the stubborn Tethe'allan Chosen alive? That... That should be easy in comparison.

Lloyd forced a soft smile onto his lips, giving the woman a thankful look before turning his focus down to the frail redhead bundled in white. His skin... His skin was almost as white as those thick blankets wrapped about him. Lloyd shoved this realization to the back of his thoughts, moving to again gently stoke that cool cheek, brushing the man's smooth cheekbone with sword-calloused fingers.

"Hey, you. You.... You keep hanging on, Zelos. I'll never forgive you if you go and do something stupid on me. But you already know that, right?" he quietly remarked, his soft voice shaking a bit, despite his best effort to keep his words steady. "I... I believe in you, Zelos. I know you're gonna be okay. And... Until then, I'll be right here beside you," he gently stated, his fingers carefully stroking that so very cool cheek. "I'm right here, Zelos. Right beside you. Just... Just like always." The spiky haired teen's voice cracked a bit at this, and he released a shaking sigh. _I'm right here. Even... Even if you don't know it. I'm right here..._

Zelos gave no true sign of response to the boy's soothing words, though his head moved ever so slightly, weakly pressing against Lloyd's hand. Had the redhead heard his voice? Could he feel his touch? "Zelos..."

"He knows. He knows you're right here, child."

Lloyd gave a small, firm nod of his head at Amelia's gentle words, his watery eyes never leaving that face he held so dear. How long would that face be lifeless, blank and pale? When would those thin eyelids open, when would he see another of those playful, teasing smiles? Lloyd... He would wait by the man's side. Wait, until Zelos opened his eyes, smiled and...

Still. Lloyd hated simply waiting. But somehow? He had a distinct feeling he was about to get one hell of a crash course in the art of patience.

"I'm here, Zelos. I'm here." He ran a hand through long, red locks, his expression resolute. He wouldn't let Zelos slip away. No matter what.

So for now? He would wait. Whatever it took to keep his companion alive.

* * *

And there you have it. The plot thickens, oh noes. Ahem. Just so you know, I realize this fic is coming about terribly slowly, and I really appreciate all the comments and the fact that you guys are enjoying it (hopefully) so far. Thank you for being patient with my sporadic, slow writing, and um. It really means a lot. But mushiness aside, until next time~.


	6. Chapter 5

AN: Oh look. Here is another pointless chapter. That. Isn't worth the wait. ^_^; Go me.

* * *

There was snow.

It was the only real thing the young man could see. White, white... An endless horizon of nothing but fluttering white flakes carried towards him on harsh gusts of wind.

_Where..._

Yet the wind gusting against his lean frame felt warm—_hot_ even. What kind of sense did that make, anyway? The flakes pressing against him, that raging blizzard... It was uncomfortably warm.

Zelos gave a blink of his aqua-blue eyes, his lips set in a soft frown.

Where? Where was he?

He could remember nothing, nothing other than... Was this a dream? Surely he was still cuddled against Lloyd Irving; safe in their shared inn room. He would wake soon to Lloyd snoring in his ear, mumbling about pirates and sailing the high seas... right?

"Hello?" his voice seemed weak, quickly dying against that howling snowstorm surrounding him. "...Lloyd?" His companion was nowhere within view. There was nothing, nothing but white.

_This... Feels weird..._ The young Chosen held up a hand, watching with a frown as warm flakes of snow landed in his palm, quickly melting. _Wait..._

The melting snow stained his palm, red... Red blood.

Zelos took in a shaking breath, his eyes widening at the feel of that warm blood. "...No..." More. There was more blood. More...

He was standing in a raging snowstorm, hot flakes of blood-red snow encasing his shuddering frame. It was hot. Too hot.

"L-Lloyd? Lloyd, where..." He took a shaking step back—or was it forward? The world was spinning, red and white blowing into his wide eyes. It stung, stung... Or perhaps it was the tears stinging his eyes.

A far off part of the redhead knew this was surreal, knew it **must** be a dream, an illusion—yet that far off logic was too faint to grasp. No... No, it was too hot, too red....

Too painful.

Why did that snow make his body ache so? He was on fire. "...Lloyd..." His world spinning, burning.... The only clear goal he could come up with? Find Lloyd. If he could find Lloyd, everything would be okay, right?

The snow would stop, the smell and taste of blood would vanish. That burning pain would ease away, if only he could find Lloyd. Lloyd would smile, smile that stupid grin that Zelos... adored so very much. He would tease him for getting lost, would take his hand, show him the way. He...

He had helped him before, after all. Showed Zelos the way when he had been lost.... Lost in the bitterness of his own self-loathing and painful past.

"Lloyd..." If he could just see through the red and white, if he could clear the strange fogginess to his thoughts... He would find Lloyd. He... He was waiting for Zelos, right?

_It... hurts..._ His steps were slow, his body sluggish. He would find Lloyd.

He wasn't sure where or how, but he... He knew his bumpkin was waiting for him somewhere amongst that red snow.

* * *

"...Damn. Damn it..."

He had run the test three times. It was a simple test, little chance of error, but run it again and again, he had. Yet each result proved the same, no matter how hard he hoped for the contrary—for the impossible.

The bespectacled man let out an uneven sigh, turning away from the desk holding those black and white results. There was no use denying it; hell. Had there ever been? It was simply too similar to be a mere coincidence and he had known it, the moment that frightened boy had carried his companion through his office's threshold.

He... He didn't believe in coincidences to begin with, and now?

Now, it seemed his past was coming back to haunt him once more.

"...It would seem... This is my fault. Isn't it..." He allowed his eyelids to slip closed, his frown deep. There would be no easy course of action to take now. This he knew all to well.

After all... who would know better than the toxin's creator?

* * *

"Amelia... he's really getting hot," Lloyd whispered, his concerned gaze set solely on his companion's flushed face. "...That's a bad sign, isn't it." There was no question in his words. He may not be a medical expert—or an 'expert' on much of anything for that matter—but even he knew that red, sweaty face was a sign of nothing **good**. That was for damn sure.

The brunet gently touched that damp forehead, releasing a shuddering breath at how warm it felt against his hand. _Zelos..._ The man looked so frail. It... it was enough to send Lloyd's heart into his throat. It was only getting worse. As time dragged slowly forward, his... His dear friend's condition seemed to be deteriorating right before his eyes.

_...S-Seles should know. Colette and... The Professor and Genis... Sheena...Everyone should know that __he might not... _Really, he had hoped to be able to deliver an uplifting message to their friends—not to mention the Chosen's sister—yet... That message he had hoped to send: _Guys, Zelos is hurt, but doing better. He should be okay._ seemed further and further from reach as time drug ever on.

Now? Now perhaps that message should be... Be... _Get here... as soon as you can, or..._ Lloyd's thoughts trailed and he bit down on his lower lip. No. No, that wasn't going to happen. He wasn't allowing himself to think something so negative. Not... Not when Zelos needed him, needed him to believe in him.

"Here, child. Hold this on his head," the kindly elder nurse's voice broke the boy from his bleak thoughts, and he gave a blink, drawing his focus to the woman. A damp cloth was held in her thin hand, held out for him to take.

"Thanks," he softly stated, and he moved to take the cloth, doing as instructed. He carefully laid it against Zelos' hot forehead, noting the way the man twitched a bit at that cool sensation. "Does that feel a little better, Zel?" he gently inquired, struggling to keep a positive tenor into his voice. It... It was difficult.

"...I suppose I should be checking in with the doc. He's been gone for quite awhile now," the grey haired woman quietly murmured, as if mostly to herself. "And I... I need to tell him your friend's getting a pretty nasty fever."

Lloyd gave a faint nod of his head, unable to draw his focus away from Zelos' rosy face. It... It had been so pale before, yet now... It seemed he was growing steadily warmer at a quick rate... Alarmingly quick.

"When I get back, we'll sit down and decide on who you want to contact, hm? I know you've been thinkin' on it," Amelia's voice held a bit of a knowing tenor, and rightly so. Her words were spot on. "It's normal to be worried, child. But don't you lose faith. It usually gets worse before it gets better, don't go forgettin' that." With these words, the woman moved to stand next to the younger boy, and she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't lose hope."

"...Yeah. Yeah, I know. Thanks, Amelia." Lloyd finally pulled his focus to the kindly woman at that comforting touch, and he gave her a small, shaky smile.

She was right. He wasn't going to give in that easy. What was it Zelos was all the time calling Lloyd? A 'stubborn bumpkin?' Well... He had to live up to that... For Zelos' sake.

The woman gave a nod of her head, and a tender squeeze to the teen's shoulder before turning towards the clinic's exit. "I'll be right back, so don't you fret."

"...Yeah... It's fine..." He couldn't manage much more than this, his focus pulling back to Zelos' pink-tinted face. "Tell the doctor to hurry up. He wants to get paid, right?" he weakly added, attempting to force a tint of humor into his voice, though it rang pretty false. _Zelos... Zelos is better at that, huh? He's... Always able to force a smile..._ This thought only served to increase the knot in Lloyd's stomach. Painfully so.

"Will do. That's a promise." The elderly woman let out a soft, bittersweet laugh at the boy's words, and she turned back to cast him one last consoling smile before departing into the cold Flanoir air.

The door closed behind the woman with a thud, but Lloyd barely even heard it. He was far too focused on Zelos' warming face. It... It was growing even redder, despite the cool cloth he held against his companion. _Should it be getting... Should he be getting this hot, this fast?_ Not only was the fever itself frightening, but... The rate at which his friend's temperature was rising?

It was terrifying.

"Hey, Zelos... You listening?" Lloyd softly inquired, attempting to shove aside that thick wave of fear practically choking him—or keep it from his voice, at the least. He gently smoothed the cloth over his companion's rosy face, sopping up a bit of moisture from his skin. "Zel?" he tried once more, watching his expression carefully for any sign of response.

Zelos twitched a bit, but no other real sign of recognition was given by the man. Lloyd.. Well, he wasn't surprised. Still, it did nothing to ease his fear, that was for sure.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I know you're there... I know you can hear me," the brunet firmly stated, struggling to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. It was difficult; difficult when he had no idea if the redhead could **really** hear him, really feel his presence. "And you know I'm right here, Zelos. I'll be right here until you feel better." He somehow managed to hide that fear, his voice strong and steady. Actually believing his consoling words however... Another matter. _Stop... Stop that. I have to believe. It's..._

"..Lloyd..."

Zelos' soft, slurred voice quickly pulled the young man from his thoughts, and he scooted a little closer to his companion, taking hold of his limp, sweaty hand. "I'm right here, Zelos," Lloyd stated, making sure to keep that firm, confident tenor. "You with me, Zelos?" he went on to question, giving the redhead's hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. _Come on, Zelos... Talk to me... Please..._

"L-Lloyd? Lloyd, where..." It certainly wasn't what Lloyd had hoped to hear. Zelos' voice was meek, confused and.. scared. His friend was scared.

Lloyd bit down on his lower lip at this realization, sucking in a deep, unsteady breath. _D-damn it..._ He shouldn't be surprised, right? How could Zelos not be scared? He... He was injured, and sick, some sort of... poison flowing through his weak body. How could he not be confused, in pain?

"I'm right here, Zelos. Right here," he firmly repeated, raising his voice a little in hopes of being better heard. "Right here." The Sylvarant teen tightened his hold on Zelos' moist hand, his brown eyes set solely on that frail face.

If he had been heard, Zelos showed no outward response, his pink-tinted face holding no expression. There was... Nothing, nothing but the man's short, uneven breaths and red, moist face. Lloyd's stomach twisted painfully at this.

"It's okay. It's okay, Zelos. You're going to be okay soon. I... I promise." His voice broke, despite himself, and the young man lowered his head, closing his eyes tightly. He... It hurt. Hurt terribly. Looking at his best friend lying there, so... So...

"I can't lose you, Zelos. You know that, right?" The words tumbled from his frowning lips, his eyes closing tighter. "Nothing would be right. Ever again. We... Who would wake me up in the mornings, and... Pick on me, and, smile that stupid smile of yours... Whine that fake, stupid whine... Keep me warm at night? Who... Who would be my best friend, my..." Lloyd's shaking words trailed into silence, and he clenched his jaw at the tight, painful sensations in his stomach, his chest, his throat. It was threatening to utterly overwhelm him.

"...You... You can't just go away again. I wouldn't know what to do," he finally whispered, his voice soft, strangled. It was the cold, bitter truth of the matter. Zelos had left him twice before. Once as a false betrayal, once as his savior from Mithos Yggdrasil. He... He couldn't leave Lloyd again. Not again.

_Th-third time's a charm, huh? Third time..._ Would this be the time Zelos didn't come back?

Lloyd shook his head violently at this bleak thought, forcing open his teary eyes. How could he even **think** that? He felt a thick wave of disgust with himself, a few stray tears leaking down his face. "Zelos, I'm sorry. I... I'm sorry..." he mumbled, unsure on exactly what it was he was even apologizing for. Allowing his friend to be so critically injured? For thinking such terrible thoughts? For not telling him... Telling him just _how_ much the Tethe'allan Chosen meant to him?

...He... He wasn't sure, but he softly repeated this apology over and over. _Sorry. Sorry, Zelos. Sorry..._ He gently laid his forehead against his companion's, casting aside the cloth. It wasn't helping anyway. His face was only getting hotter. He... Zelos was so hot.

A few tears slid from Lloyd's tightly closed eyes, dropping down to the Chosen's pink cheeks. "I'm sorry, Zelos. I'm... so sorry."

He stayed like this for some time, pressed gently against his most.. most important person, his tears sliding down to pelt that blank, frail face.

* * *

Amelia had her answer right before her. Just judging by her friend's slumped posture, the man's head resting in his hands... yes. Yes, she had her answer.

"It's back again," she murmured from the doorway, her eyes weary.

"Yes. Yes, it is." His words were muffled, faint, holding little emotion.

The elderly woman gave a nod of her head, her blue gaze drawing away from the man, dropping to the floor. This... This complicated matters. On more than one level. "...You'll contact Sybak now, doc?" she softly inquired, her frown deep.

"Yes," was the only response given by the man, and he didn't raise his head, didn't show any sign of further reply.

"Well. We know what we're dealing with. I guess... That's a start," Amelia mumbled, her words ringing hollow. It was a terrible feeling. A terrible feeling that she had known would come, had expected. Yet all the same... It didn't make it any less terrible. _Again, huh... Again..._

"I'm... I'm going to be responsible for the death of another young boy, aren't I, Amelia?" The doctor's flat voice drew the woman from her thoughts, and she directed her gaze back to the man. He had pulled himself back into a full sitting position on his chair, his narrow eyes meeting hers. A blank, dead look was in the man's hollow gaze. It... Sent a chill down the elderly woman's frame.

"We don't know that yet."

"Don't we?"

Amelia let out a soft sigh, turning away from the man. "...Wasn't your fault, doc. It wasn't." Her 'grandson' had... It hadn't been the man's fault. It hadn't.

"...I killed my own son. And now another dies. I am... some doctor."

Amelia closed her eyes, her frown only deepening. This... This had proven to be a terrible mess.

* * *

Rae: Er, yeah. I don't even know. Have random, pointless wangst. And. Uh. Hopefully no one's gonna mind me giving the doctor a random back-story of lame doom. =_= Yeah. I just. Don't. Don't let me write ever again.


	7. Chapter 6

AN: And here it is, after months and months: a new chapter! Now. Was it worth the wait? Well. Probably not! But we shall pretend it is. XD

* * *

He wasn't hearing the doctor's words right. That had to be it. There was no way he'd heard those grave words correctly, no way that solemn look on Amelia's face could really be what Lloyd was seeing. _That... that isn't... that..._

The brunet gave a blink of his watery eyes, followed by another. He proceeded this with a slow shake of his head. "What... what do you mean there's no cure?" he fought to voice these words, his jaw clenching harshly to keep back the fresh tears from spilling from his eyes. "What does... what does that mean?" It was a stupid question and he knew it. It meant just what the doctor had said: the poison flowing through his dear friend's veins had no cure. Zelos was going to die.

"Now, dear. Don't go getting ahead of yourself. Give the doc a chance to explain," Amelia's soft voice sounded, yet those words were barely even noticed by the increasingly distraught teen. "Lloyd, child. Come on now," again she tried, only mildly succeeding in drawing the brunet's attention her way.

"... What else... is there to say? If it can't be fixed... then he's gonna die," he choked out, his blurred gaze dropping from the kindly woman's face, drawing back to the gasping, feverish man he sat beside of. Lloyd hadn't moved from his spot on the bed, not since breaking down into tears nearly a half an hour before. He simply sat on the edge of that small mattress, clutching a lifeless hand, his free hand gently caressing a damp cloth about that agonized, sweat stained face. How... how could Zelos not be okay? It made no sense, it was impossible. Zelos was invincible, Zelos was... was...

Zelos was going to die right before his eyes.

Silent tears slipped down the boy's face, his teeth gritting in pain—terrible pain ripping through his chest, his stomach, his very being. That steadily increasing sense of dread he had experienced throughout his vigil over his ailing friend had proven correct in the worst way possible. And it was unbearable. Utterly unbearable.

"That isn't necessarily true," the doctor's unaffected voice sounded, giving a faint clearing of his throat. "I'm not going to lie to you—this is the last thing I wanted to find. This makes things incredibly difficult, to say the very least," he continued, his voice still holding that flat, smooth demeanor.

"He's right, child. It's true. There is no known antidote to the toxin. But that doesn't mean it's over. The doc's too stubborn to just leave it at that," Amelia concurred, her voice both grim and determined. "You givin' in isn't gonna help a thing. So dry those eyes and listen up," she ordered, her tenor firm.

_'Dry my eyes?'_ Somehow, the woman's words had the opposite effect intended, his body tensing at the fresh wave of anger and despair overwhelming his already frazzled mind. "You can stand there and say that all you want! You don't know a damn thing about it! Stop telling me what to feel. I... This is my best friend lying here! You expect me to just calmly sit here as you tell me you can't fix him?" he practically shouted, his boyish voice shaking. "I couldn't protect him, and now he's going to die! Don't tell me to 'dry my eyes!' I... I can't. I can't, dammit." Lloyd's words had gotten ahead of himself, so much so that they barely even registered to his ears. Everything was hazy, blurred by tears, anger, guilt... Pain. So much pain.

"You being unable to protect your friend is no excuse to take it out on Amelia. I suggest you calm yourself before you work yourself into a total frenzy," the white haired doctor calmly retorted, his arms lightly crossed about his chest. "Of course it's difficult. She's not asking for you to just brush all feeling aside. She's merely requesting you not to give into that emotion. Stop being childish," he flatly chastised, his expression as blank as his voice.

Lloyd visibly flinched at those harsh—yet utterly toneless—words, his lower lip giving a small quiver at the fresh surge of guilt tearing through his chest. He lowered his head, squeezing his eyelids tightly closed. The man was right: he was being childish. So very childish. Yet how else was he supposed to react? How could he... how could he handle losing Zelos permanently? It was enough to make the boy sick. "... 'm sorry..." was all he could manage, his grip on Zelos' hand tightening. _I'm... I'm so sorry, Zel. I'm..._

"Doc. Don't be so harsh. He's upset. You _know_ what it feels like, so don't go hurtin' the boy more than he already is," Amelia softly stated, her voice holding a faint disapproving tint. "Don't pay those words any mind, child. You don't need to worry over that," she gently added, taking a step closer to the brunet. She then placed a hand on that lowered head, brushing strands of wayward hair in a matronly, comforting manor. "It's okay to be upset. You just don't give in, dear. Don't give in, that's all I meant," she soothed, her voice slow, as if speaking to a child.

Lloyd could find no words to speak to this, hell could barely decipher those consolations through his haze of grief. Instead, he merely gave a weak nod. _Don't give in... don't..._ He released a soft, silent sob, his head lowering more-so. It seemed an impossible endeavor. "He... has a little sister. She needs to be here," he haltingly stated, his voice hoarse. "You can... arrange that, right?" he murmured, his voice sounding strained, foreign even. Were those words escaping his shivering lips even his own? Lloyd wasn't so sure.

"Of course we can, dear," the elderly nurse assured, continuing to lightly stroke a hand through the distressed teen's long, spiky hair. "But right now you need to take some breaths. You're shaking something fierce," she noted, her voice holding a tint of concern. "You need to breathe, child."

_Breathe?_ It hurt to breathe. His chest so tight, his stomach churning more and more with each passing second. Was he shaking? He wasn't even sure. All Lloyd knew was that hand held in his own was so warm, so damp and lifeless.

... It was too much. His stomach lurched, a muffled gag escaping his shivering lips. Zelos couldn't die—he couldn't.

"Come on, dear."

Firm hands held his shoulders, and he blindly stood, allowing that elderly woman to briskly direct him to a nearby basin connected to the wall. He barely could contain the bile rising in his throat, and not a moment too soon his head was lowered into that porcelain sink. He retched, watching apathetically through teary eyes as vomit flowed freely into the basin. He gagged, choking up another mouthful of vomit, spitting into the basin. It hurt—everything hurt.

"There you go. You'll feel better once you let it all out, child," Amelia soothed, a warm hand gently caressing the ill teen's quaking back.

He wasn't so sure about that. Even once he had nothing left to vomit, after every last bit of his stomach's contents was expelled, he couldn't stop the tears dripping down his cheeks. "Zel... Zelos..." He lowered his head to the edge of the sink, pressing his forehead against that cool porcelain. "He can't die. I... need him, Amelia," he whispered, his voice rough from vomiting, and from the ever growing tightness in his chest.

"I know that. He knows it too, right? That's why you can't go givin' in. Think about what he would say. Tell me. What would he say?" Amelia questioned, soothingly massaging the teen's shoulders. "Tell me about him, child."

"Tell... you?" Where would he even begin? How could he adequately describe just how amazing Zelos Wilder really was? Not that stupid mask, not the 'Idiot Chosen.' The _real_ Zelos Wilder. His companion, his best friend, his... his most important person. It was impossible. Impossible to describe the beauty of Zelos' genuine smile—so soft, weary and beautiful. And his real voice? Not that chirping, purposefully grating tone, no. The real Zelos Wilder's voice was quiet, thoughtful, solemn even. And he... _I'm... probably the only one who even notices. Even knows just how sad and lonely he is, how..._ Lloyd opened his watery eyes with this thought, realization fully setting in.

Zelos **needed** Lloyd, just as Lloyd needed Zelos.

"He... he's amazing and an idiot, all at the same time. He'd tell me it's okay to let him go, and that's exactly why I'm not gonna." Lloyd released a long, shuddering sigh, slowly drawing his head up from the basin, running a hand about his tear-filled eyes. "I need him. And he... he needs me. So that's why I'm not giving up. I'm never giving up. So... What are we doing? You said it wasn't over. What are we going to do to save him?" he firmly inquired—as firm as he could manage, anyway. His stomach was still swimming, his chest tight and his body shaking. He couldn't give into that pain, however. Lloyd **couldn't** give up on Zelos, not now. Not ever.

"Now that's more like it," Amelia gently replied, a soft smile on her lips. "I knew you were a fighter—and that fighter in you will keep your friend fighting too," she added, her voice taking on a confident tenor once more—whether it was genuine or merely for Lloyd's sake, well. He wasn't sure. He'd take the comfort in it, regardless.

"Drink this. It should calm your stomach," the doctor's voice captured the young brunet's attention, and with a blink, Lloyd realized the white haired man now stood before him, a small glass of clear liquid held out towards him. "It's nothing sedative, if you're worried about that," he added, his voice flat, still showing no sign of emotion whatsoever.

"O-oh. Uh, yeah. Thanks," the boy quietly replied, taking the glass into a shaking hand. He stared down at the liquid, his stomach lurching at the thought of consuming the medicine. _Not so... sure about this..._

"It'll help. Just drink it," the doctor's toneless voice again sounded, and the man turned away, stepping back towards his critically ill and injured patient. "The sooner you calm yourself, the sooner we'll continue our discussion. Or you could hover over the basin instead, if you like."

Lloyd gave a small nod of his head at the man's seemingly uncaring words, then tipped the glass to his lips, drinking down the contents. The medicine was hardly pleasant tasting—a faint grimace flickering across his boyish face—yet he managed to keep it down. _Ugh..._ If it would settle his swimming stomach? It was more than worth it.

"Alright, child. Let's sit yourself back down," Amelia calmly remarked, a thin hand moving to take the empty medicine glass from the teen's hand. "You up to walking on your own?" she then inquired, her kindly eyes traversing Lloyd's frame, obviously in search of any apparent signs of weakness.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay." Maybe 'okay' wasn't the best word, but Lloyd was certainly up to walking. His legs were shaking, his head throbbing and his chest tight, but that... that wouldn't stop anytime soon. It wasn't a real illness of any sort—it was worse than that. The worry and dread were nearly unbearable.

_Snap out of it._ Lloyd gritted his teeth with this self-admonition, taking unsteady steps back towards his suffering companion's bedside. He'd already wasted enough time; he needed to refocus on what _could_ be done—no matter how little that may be.

The brunet settled himself on the edge of Zelos' bed, his hand immediately reaching for one of his friend's. That moist, lifeless hand... Lloyd swallowed hard at the fresh surge of fear-induced nausea nearly overwhelming him. "So. What do we do?" he inquired, his voice hoarse, and his brown gaze locked on that agonized face. _What... what can we do, Zel? What can we do to... to save you?_

"Well. One of the largest obstacles we face is the unpredictable nature of the toxin. The effects on the body can be numerous. Predicting, let alone _treating_ the symptoms that will surface is going to be no easy task," the white haired man explained, his words matter-of-fact. "There is no known cure, as I said. However, that does not mean it's impossible to survive. The toxin eventually breaks down within the system—it's a matter of keeping the patient alive until then."

Lloyd shuddered at the man's words, at the unaffected, matter-of-fact manner of his statements, yet he gave no comment. Instead, he ran those words through his mind, struggling to comprehend their meaning. "So... what you're saying is..."

"If we can treat the effects of the toxin until it breaks down and leaves his system, he may survive. That's far easier said than accomplished. This will be difficult. And costly," the doctor interjected, his arms crossing about his chest in a casual manner.

"You really think money matters at this point? Would you just get to the damn point?" Lloyd retorted, though he was unable to force much irritation into his hoarse voice. He was too focused on Zelos' uneven breaths and flushed face.

"Now, now. Calm down child," Amelia softly remarked, casting the boy a reassuring smile. "Keep calm, remember?"

"... Yeah." It was another of those 'easier said than done' things about the situation, but Lloyd would try his hardest. Still... it wasn't easy when faced with the doctor's continued unfeeling attitude. _Does he... does he even care?_ Somehow, Lloyd wasn't so sure. "So the point?"

"The _point_ is there are experimental medications that can be administered to quicken the breakdown, but it comes with a price. The effects of the drugs alone can put additional stress on the body. It's a gamble." With this said, the man gave a sigh, his narrow eyes focused solely on Zelos' pained face. "It's a necessary gamble, however. With his extensive injuries, there is little chance his body will be able to survive the full life of the toxin. We need to quicken the breakdown of it as much as possible."

Lloyd gave a faint nod of his head at this, his heart racing painfully fast against his ribcage. "So... you can give him these medicines? You have them?" he haltingly inquired, his throat so very tight with dread it was hard to voice his thoughts.

"I'm in contact with members of my former research team in Sybak," the doctor replied, his lips twitching into a slight frown. "It shouldn't take very long for the medicines to be made. It's a rare cocktail of drugs, but they're experienced with it. By morning we'll have them," he added, his arms uncrossing, a hand raising to fiddle with his glasses in an almost uneasy motion.

Wait... did he say research team? What the heck did that mean? Lloyd slowly pulled his focus away from Zelos' damp face, instead directing a questioning look the doctor's way. "Research team? Why would a doctor in Flanoir have a team in Sybak?" he curiously questioned, his expression thoughtful.

"Oh, now you know our ole doc. He's been a little bit of everywhere over the years," Amelia quickly answered, taking a step closer to the man in question, giving an affectionate tap to his white-clothed shoulder. "Ain't that right, doc?" she inquired, her voice seeming to soften a bit.

"... That's one way to look at it," the bespectacled man murmured, pulling away from that affectionate touch, turning his back on both Lloyd and Amelia. "As of now, we're running on a timeline of at least seventy-two hours. Once the medicines are administered... we'll go from there. Prepare yourself. This will not be easy. Your friend is going to suffer, and you won't be able to do a thing about it. So be prepared, Lloyd," the white haired man quietly added, his voice grave.

Lloyd's chest constricted terribly at the man's warning, his brown eyes growing watery. "I'm... I'm ready," he forced the reply from his lips, his voice shaking, yet still resolute. He was ready. He **had** to be. For Zelos? He... he had to be.

"Are you? I wonder." The white haired doctor gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, turning back to face his patient and the young boy by his side. "We'll see."

"Doc—" Amelia began, a frown on her lips, only to be cut off by the man she addressed.

"Don't, Amelia. Just... don't." The doctor's voice was utterly toneless, his expression blank.

"Ah... sorry. Was just—"

"I said don't."

That was harsh, wasn't it? Treating his supposed friend so shortly? Was the doctor really that unfeeling? Sure, he was used to the man being a smug, confident jerk, but this? Maybe if Lloyd could focus on something other than Zelos' gasping breaths, his lifeless hand clutched in his own... Maybe he could better read the man's strangely blank mannerisms. But at the moment? He didn't have the energy to force himself to focus too heavily on the doctor or his strange attitude. All he knew was this man was the only hope Zelos had for survival. _It's... it's okay, Zel. He might be a jerk, but he... he's gonna keep you alive._

"So... these symptoms? The things that can happen to Zel? What are we watching for?" Lloyd softly inquired, his free hand moving to cautiously stroke his companion's flushed cheek, his touch gentle, hopefully soothing.

"I think the better question is what _not_ to watch for. This is an unpredictable monster, I assure you. We need to be alert. One minute of carelessness is all it takes," he explained, his voice still holding that utterly unaffected tone.

Lloyd wasn't sure which sent the most chills racing up his spine—the man's words, or his calm, unfeeling voice. He was starting to wish for the doctor to return to that cocky asshole he was familiar with. This? This was totally unfamiliar to the brunet, and more than a little unnerving. _He's acting so weird. Does that mean he... he doesn't think he can fix Zel? Or is he..._ Debating it wasn't gonna help anything. As frightening as it was, there really was little the brunet could do at this point. So instead of question the man, he focused his full attention back to the situation at hand—the toxin and its effects.

"You... you act like you know a lot about this stuff. Have you... have you ever treated it before?" Lloyd broke the silence he had fallen into, his voice tight, his hand continuing to cautiously caress that flushed, pained face of his companion.

"Of course," came the bespectacled man's simple response, his words holding a faint pointed tenor, as if the answer to the teen's question should have been obvious.

Lloyd nodded his head at this, another question forming in the back of his mind—a terrifying question he was afraid to ask. _Did... did you..._ He released a shaking breath, his focus turning to the doctor, meeting his cold eyes. "Did you save them?" he forced the inquiry from his frowning lips, a harsh shiver washing over his body. He was afraid to hear the man's response, yet he had a distinct feeling he already knew the answer. _I'm wrong, I'm..._

"No. No, I didn't." For the first time in awhile, the white haired man's voice shifted, his words softening.

Lloyd's stomach flipped at the man's answer—not that he was the least bit surprised. He had fully expected that reply. Maybe not the tone, but the response? He... he had somehow known. _Damn it. Damn it, Zel..._

"It's gonna be different this time. I won't forgive you if it isn't." Lloyd's voice was tight, yet his gaze determined. "You're gonna save him. I know it," he said, casting the man a faint, shivering smile.

"Hm. Is that so." The doctor tilted his head a bit to the side at this, his lips twitching into a semblance of that familiar smirk. "We'll see, won't we."

"He's right, doc. This time's going to be different," Amelia concurred, her own lips set in a soft smile. "This is a new day, doc."

"How naïve." The man gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, his focus abruptly dropping to his patient, to his heaving chest. "Let's hope that crystal of yours is enough to keep up your stamina," he quietly stated, his words obviously directed to Zelos.

Lloyd blinked, his focus also drawing to his companion, to the cruxis-crystal attached to his chest. Would the power of that crystal—Zelos' angelic powers—be enough of an edge? And... did the doctor even know the true nature of the stone? "That's... that's not just a normal ex-"

"You think I don't know? I'm not stupid," the man scoffed, not even allowing the Sylvarant teen to finish his sentence. "He's the Chosen. Of course it's a Cruxis Crystal. I wouldn't be surprised if your attackers targeted him just for this fact alone." He released a sigh with this, a hand moving up to adjust his glasses. "Whatever the case, it's possible the crystal may play a part in your friend's recovery. We will see."

_Targeted Zelos?_ But that didn't make any sense. The bandits were after exspheres, right? Then why-... "Oh goddess." If they had known... known 'the Chosen' was traveling with Lloyd, known that Lloyd was in search of exspheres, then... _I led Zelos right into a trap... didn't I._ His shoulders slumped, his focus lowering to the hand resting in his own.

"It's merely a hypothesis. It could be nothing more than bad luck on your part, but it is still a possibility. Even now, there are more than a few that would like to see Tethe'alla's Chosen dead," the man evenly remarked, as if speaking about something simple. Like the weather.

"Those bastards!" Lloyd gave a violent shake of his head, a few fresh tears spilling from his eyes at this abrupt motion. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that even now, with the worlds merged, with no need to burden Zelos with the title of _Chosen_, even then, he... he still had to suffer because of that title forced upon him. Whether it was an outright assassination attempt, or an attempt to rob him of his crystal... Either case meant that his Chosen status was responsible. It... It wasn't fair. _Zelos... Zelos, I'm so sorry..._

"Save your anger for another time. It can come later. For now, focus on your friend, not his attackers," the doctor smoothly interjected into the boy's dark thoughts. He turned, apparently heading back towards the various medical instruments lined up on his desk. "We have too much work to do. Anger will only prove to be a distraction. Trust me."

Amelia gave a nod of her head, then a soft clearing of her throat. "Right now isn't a time for anger, child. It's..." she began, yet paused, her expression uncertain. This look slowly morphed into one of certainty, and she stepped forward, placing a thin hand gently upon Lloyd's shoulder. "Right now isn't time for hate. It's a time to give your friend—not the Chosen, but your friend—all the love he deserves. You give him that love, child," she softly stated, her words quiet, yet firm. "You focus on giving him that love of yours."

_... Love?_ Lloyd slowly raised his head to meet the elderly woman's astute gaze, his lips set in a deep, unsure frown. "Love," he murmured aloud, carefully taking in the woman's certain expression. Was she suggesting what he thought?

It wasn't like he didn't know, after all. Deep down? He had known for some time. Of course it was love. Of course he knew how very much that suffering young man meant to him, how much his heart ached and how much he, he... No, it wasn't that he didn't know perfectly well what Zelos Wilder meant to him. It was just... was it **that** obvious to the elderly woman?

Judging by her knowing expression? Apparently so.

"I... love him so much, Amelia," he whispered, his focus dropping to the angel, to that damp, pained face. Amelia had seen right through to the heart of the matter, and really, now that he thought about it... why should he be surprised? Amelia was both matronly and sharp; he had a feeling not much got by her. _Heh, of course she'd figure it out._ Not that he had been exactly subtle about it, anyway.

"Of course you do, child. Now don't go telling me. Tell him." With this said, the elderly woman released a soft, bittersweet laugh, gently patting the brunet's shoulder. "Go on. You've waited long enough."

She was right. He he had waited too long, had never told the man, and now? Now...

Lloyd slowly moved closer to his suffering companion, close enough so he could lightly rest his forehead against Zelos'. Just as he had before, when he had lost himself in his misery and guilt. This time however... this time he wasn't going to apologize to Zelos. No, this time he had something important to say.

So rest close against the man he did, his tear-blurred gaze set on that face—that beautiful face. He simply stayed like this for some time, both hands placed against the redhead's flushed cheeks. "Zel?" he finally whispered, his thumbs lightly stroking the man's cheekbones. "Zel, I've been... a real chicken," he softly confessed, his watery eyes leaking a few fresh tears—those tears pelting Zelos' cheeks. "But when you wake up? I'm gonna tell you something. And... I don't know what you'll think about it, but... but I want you to know. I want you to know, Zel." He again paused, his voice cracking and his breaths quickening at the tightness present in his chest. It was hard, so hard to express his feelings to Zelos—even with the man dying before him. "I want you to know how much... how much I love you, Zelos."

He had said it. Said it aloud for the room to hear... for Zelos to hear. The feelings springing forth from his confession were a mixture of contentment, pain, fear... too many emotions to describe. It hurt and felt so damn right, all at the same time.

"So... wake up for me, Zel. Wake up so I can tell you... tell you I... love you." With these words, he closed his eyes, biting down on his lower-lip to fight off the fresh wave of grief crashing upon him. What if he never woke up? What if Zelos died, never knowing? What if... _What if I never get to... what if..._

"I hate to break up such a touching moment, but if you'll let me through, I need to get another blood sample," the doctor's smooth voice cut in, and Lloyd started, pulling his head from Zelos. He rubbed harshly at his teary eyes, then slowly stood on shaking legs, his focus never leaving his most important person.

"S-sorry. Go ahead." His voice sounded foreign to his own ears. Everything but Zelos' face was so far away.

"He heard you, I'm sure," Amelia softly said, her hand gently placed on his arm.

All he could do was nod; nod and hope with all his heart the kindly woman was right. Even if he wasn't sure what Zelos' reaction to those three words would be, he still... Lloyd desperately wanted the ailing redhead to know. He wanted Zelos to know.

So he would have to keep believing. Believe in the doctor's abilities, Zelos' strength, in... in his own resolve. He would believe. Believe until those beautiful blue eyes opened, until...

Zelos let out a soft, pained sound, and Lloyd moved to sit on the chair next to the bed, taking the man's hand into his own. He watched as the doctor drew blood from Zelos' limp arm, watched as Zelos' chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, watched it all with a deep, twitching frown. He wouldn't stop believing. No. Not until Zelos woke and heard his words.

* * *

AN: And there you have it. Will Zelos really be able to pull through? Will Lloyd ever get to see Zelos open his eyes and hear his words? Hmmm. Not looking too great for our favorite couple, now is it. Hmm, hmm. Well. Until next time~.


End file.
